Ninja Revolution: The Scout
by Jaraiya's apprentice
Summary: He wasn't a Sage. He wasn't Minato Namikaze, or Rikkudo Sennin and never would be. He was just Uzumaki Naruto. He STILL wasn't the one to mess with. Akatsuki didn't realize when they set out to take the Kyuubi from him…but they'd figure it out eventually. The Samurai too. They were a pretty bright bunch, right? Rated M for safety. Pairing undecided. (No Slash)
1. Prologue

Full Summary:

_He wasn't a Sage. He hadn't mastered the elements to such a degree that he could call on them with but a thought. He wasn't Minato Namikaze, or Rikkudo Sennin and never would be. He definitely didn't set out to inspire people, it just sort of happened. He was just Uzumaki Naruto. He STILL wasn't the one to fuck with. Akatsuki didn't realize it when they set out to take the Kyuubi from him…but they'd figure it out eventually. They were a pretty bright bunch, right?_

Prologue

Fifteen years ago, the great village Konohagakure no Sato was attacked by the Kyuubi no Kitsune. With one sweep of a mighty tail, it could destroy mountains. With another, tsunamis would ravage the land. Truly it was a great and terrible beast.

Yet is was laid low by Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage of Konoha, and sealed away into an infant, Uzumaki Naruto, with the _hope_ that the village would see the young boy as the savior he truly was.

Sadly the 'human element' remained as unpredictable as ever. Before the reinstated Sandaime, Sarutobi Hiruzen, could reveal the infant jinchuuriki, the village was already baying for it's blood.

Someone had leaked the information to the public, sowing the seed of fear and chaos. The grief of their losses still hot and their wounds yet bleeding, assurances that the beast and infant were separate and of no danger to anyone fell on largely deaf ears. The threat of the kitsune one day taking over or releasing itself was too great on their minds. Many of the veterans had at least seen jinchuuriki fight and lose themselves during the wars, some even letting their beasts free. They wanted no such thing in their village.

After hours of back and forth debate, arguing and screaming, the Hokage, elders and clan heads reached an agreement. Planting a seal over the Yondaime's own masterpiece, they would _permanently_ seal off any access the child would have had to the beast and its chakra, making young Naruto a jinchuuriki in name only.

That decision marked the first time in recent history that Shimura Danzou and Hiruzen Sarutobi, the bitterest of political enemies, had both vehemently agreed on something, albeit for different reasons. Unfortunately for both, the majority wouldn't be swayed, and the second seal was applied.

Along with this, the elder and clan heads forbade 'special treatment' and prolonged contact with the boy from 'politically-invested parties', politely assuring Hiruzen that these measures would give him a 'somewhat normal' childhood, and appease both sides of the argument. Naturally, this meant they were going to lock down any attempts to help or subvert the child, shove him in a corner, and forget about their dirty little secret.

And as Hiruzen watched Koharu hold Minato's legacy, those small whisker-like marks disappearing from the child's face and his little body glow a reddish orange for only a moment, the Sandaime wondered if it would truly make the boy's life any better. The shiver that raced down his spine and the tremor in his old bones told him that, for better or worse, they had change something fundamental about the future of their world.

Both excitement and terror warred within him as he prayed to the gods that he'd live to see such interesting times.

0oo0oo0oo0oo0o

**A/N: Sup, guys and gals? This is the story I've been trying to write since I started reading fanfiction. Finally, my ideas and plot bunnies have combined and transformed into what you see now, and will play out (especially in terms of big battles) much like a video game. (Not the Naruto games though, more Like the Ninja Gaiden series or Metal Gear Rising.)**

**I feel I should warn you now; this Naruto will be more than a bit different. As you've seen I've essentially neutralized the Kyuubi. Aside from his Healing Factor and a few cosmetic clues (which will be different from canon) that denote his status as a Jinchurikki, Kyuubi is a non-entity. The same goes for his Kagebunshin army. This will in turn make it both easier and harder to deal with the enemies on the horizon. No Kekkei Genkai, no Divine Intervention, no Mystical Chakra, Phoenix Summoning or Inheritence. No Red Flash or Orange Hokage. Just Hard Work and a little Luck. That in itself will have an effect on his personality and worldview.**

**Inspired by characters like Sam Fisher (Splinter Cell), The Boss (Metal Gear), and Jason Todd/Red Hood (Batman), this Naruto will think and fight more like an actual ninja and less like the tank/berserker/Super-Sage/Sasuke-clone/Elemental Wind-master you see in canon and most other fics. Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Stealth, and Innovation will be his bread and butter throughout the course of the story, and without the famed Kagebunshin, he'll have to fight smart and outwit his opponets, or be overwhelmed by them. I hope you enjoy the direction it takes as the story progresses and have as much fun reading it as I do writing it!**

**Please read and review!**


	2. Revelations

"_Uzumaki Naruto? Yeah, I had the pleasure of seein' him fight, back when he was a genin. 'Kurenai's little Badass' they called him before the invasion; heh, she flipped out when she heard the nickname. He was a right terror, he was. A mean-streak a mile wide and moved like the wind too! And he had the tightest little ass on him….Still does last time I saw him…"_

-Inuzuka Tsume, Head of the Inuzuka Clan

Chapter One: Revelations

Fifteen year-old Uzumaki Naruto gave a jaw-cracking yawn as he opened his eyes to glare at the sun, which just happened to be shining back at him through his window with vigor.

"I hate you."

As with every morning he said that, the Sun refused to answer back, content to ruin his sleep in silence.

Sighing to himself, he ran a hand through close-cropped blonde hair, which was just starting to spike forward. "Might as well get up," he grumbled to himself, "I don't wanna be _too_ late." And with that, he sat himself upon swung his sluggish body out of bed.

He REALLY hated Mondays.

Hearing a faint hissing sound, reflexes born of years of training awoke despite his half-asleep state and deft fingers closed around the head of the rather large snake poised to bite him, before a tightly muscled arm deftly flung the slithering reptile out through the open window. The creepy snake-lady next door REALLY needed to keep her pets in line.

Blinking twice as his brain caught up with his body, he let out a simple 'huh' and proceeded to grab a fresh towel and rag. He'd spotted one of the younger male tenants sneaking into the landlord's room yesterday evening, so the old perv would forget to turn Naruto's hot water off likehe usually did, spiteful bastard. With a shiver, he made a note to avoid the man and his grabby hands even more this week.

Ten minutes and a pleasantly warm shower later, he was ready to go. Decked out in his usual slim olive-drab cargo pants, snug black long-sleeved turtleneck, and his shin and kneed guards over his knee-high sandals, he patted himself down to make sure he had his hip holster full of shuriken, his utility pouch and his large knife which was buckled to his thigh in a simple black sheath.

After putting on his gloves and stashing a small book into his utility pouch, he put his goggleson his forehead and finally made his way out of the door, headed toward the village proper.

OooooOOOOOooooOOOOooooO

Having lived in the part of Konoha dubbed the 'Suicide Slums' since the age of eight, he knew exactly hot to duck and weave the disgruntle residents, drug-dealers and other generally unsavory characters as he made his way out of the villlage's low-budget Western Residential District.

'_Another day, another five-hundred or so glares_,' He chuckled internally as he engaged in his daily Chakra-less free-run on the way to the academy. '_I wonder what they'll say about me today…' _For as far back as he can remember, he'd been hated and vilified by his fellow villagers.

As he ran unassisted up and across a wall to avoid a gaggle of early morning shoppers, he laughed to himself; if their glares _were_ poisonous, he'd have been dead LONG ago. Leaping from the edge of the wall, he hit the ground in a safety-roll and kept moving, two-hand vaulting over the cart of a negligent peddler.

Luckily for his childhood, the villagers were above physically harming small children. Besides the occasional slap or shove, glares and willful ignorance of his very existence seemed to suffice, and the boy quickly realized that being nice wouldn't earn him any good will. So he gave them the same neglect and unwelcoming behavior he was given, peppered with a polite demeanor and a toothy grin just for bloody kicks.

This of course did nothing to decrease the treatment he got from them, and unfounded rumors of him being this horrible delinquent suddenly gained that much more credence, much to the boy's chagrin.

And thus we have our young ninja to be; hated by the majority of the village, both shinobi and civilian, and many unjust rumors and stigmas dogging his every step toward progress and a relatively happy life.

Why was his particular situation so bleak? He hadn't the blue-fucking-foggiest, and after so long he honestly didn't care.

'_That's the always the kicker though, isn't it?'_He frowned to himself as he another hurdled cart, surreptitiously snagging and stowing a few apples, _'I STILL have not the first clue about why they treat me like Undesireable Number One. Whatever.'_ Shaking himself out of his depressing train of thoughts, he gazed at the sprawling village ahead of him.

Scanning the scene ahead of him quickly, he spotted the wall of an old shop with two merchant-types standing by laughing at some lame Rich-person joke, the lamppost across the street from it, which lead to an alleyway. Instantly forming a plan he made a beeline for the merchants.

Pressing for all possible speed, he closed the few meters between them in an instant, 'accidentally' pushing them aside while covertly grabbing where he knew these types kept their wallets.

Twin cries of 'oof!' were music to his ears as three long steps saw him up and across the wall and with an impressive show of leg strength he leaped across the street to the lamppost and swung into the alleyway's closest wall. The instant he touched the first wall, he rebounded to the next, hopped on to the roof and was merrily on his way.

Naruto nodded to himself as he thumbed through the pilfered wallets for the cash within, then dumped them in the next available trash bin. "This and a **Henge no jutsu** (Transformation Technique) should take care of this week's food." He muttered. He mentally made a note to swing by Lady Maikaze's little 'teahouse'/bar and see if he could make a few extra bucks off the girls with cheap massages.

In a few minutes he'd be at the academy, where he could do his cool-down routine and be in class before the bell rang. All in all, it wasn't a bad way to start the week.

oo0o0o0oo

Inside the Shinobi Academy, Thirty minutes later…

Umino Iruka once again scanned the room, his young ninja hopefuls silently taking the written part of their exam. His nine brightest students seemed to be done early, and were awaiting the next phase of the exam.

Uchiha Sasuke, Rookie of the year by unanimous vote and tragic prince of Konoha, sat in his usual corner; he was more focused on brooding than anything else now that he'd finished his test. Iruka pitied the poor girl that actually DID capture the boy's attention.

In contrast to the antisocial yet studious Uchiha, he glanced at Nara Shikamaru, who was also done much to Iruka's surprise. One point above dead last and the laziest young man he'd ever seen, Iruka still had high hopes for the boy. He knew that, like all Nara men, below that infuriatingly lazy exterior lay the mind of a genius. It was damn near hereditary, and it took_ skill_ to always stay exactly one point above the dead last.

At the moment the Nara, his friend Akimichi Chouji, and the ever brash and loud Inuzuka Kiba were all napping heavily. Amusingly enough, Kiba was actually drooling onto the desk, while his small ninken Akamaru in turn drooled on his head in a similar slumber.

Glancing over to the other side of the room, he saw his best and brightest kunoichi.

Hyuuga Hinata of course sat in the front, posture impeccable, and she dutifully waited for his next instructions. Though slightly more outgoing and approachable, she was just as opinionated and acerbic as her older cousin Neji; As of now, she was the academy's top kunoichi all around, and it showed.

Shooting the last Uchiha scion longing glances were two of his brightest, yet disappointing kunoichi, Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino. Self-proclaimed 'Rivals in Love', the two seemed to care more about Sasuke than their own careers.

One would think the **three extra years** and more specialized curriculum that the Hokage's educational reforms had provided would have produced more fruit in the kunoichi section, yet it remained a sad truth: the younger generation of kunoichi cared more for social status and pursuits than their careers.

Glancing to the very back of the class, Iruka saw the quiet form of Aburame Shino. Like most of his clan he was polite, intellectual, a bit distant, and as a rule hard to read. If only the rest of his students were so easily categorized.

At last Iruka's eyes fell on Uzumaki Naruto, and a frown crossed his face.

It wasn't that he disliked the humble and hardworking boy. His heart actually went out to the boy for what he dealt with at the academy. The problem was that the young Uzumaki made it no easier on himself with that glare of his, when that evil temper of his flared. He was notorious for getting rather violent when bullied, whether by student or staff .That was enough for the teachers, who'd made it their personal business to break the 'little freak child', assigning him countless punishments and verbally degrading him when possible.

As of now the boy was, as usual, quietly reading from what Iruka gathered to be some kind of theory text, waiting for the Taijutsu portion of the exam.

Breaking that train of thought, Iruka glanced at the clock, then to Mizuki. Giving a nod, Iruka signaled that they had reached the twenty five minute mark, and the students had five more minutes to finish their test.

This next section would actually make or break it for the students without ninja background. Many a dream would be crushed today. Again, Iruka sighed.

It was hard being a teacher.

Oo0OO0OO0oO

The Hokage's Office

"Believe me, Kakashi," The Third Hokage intoned from his desk in front of the ten assembled Jounin, "I understand your reservations on the matter, but you are honestly the only one able to teach young Sasuke; especially now that he has awakened his bloodline so early and shown such aptitude."

Said masked Jounin let out a deep breath before replying, "Of course, Hokage-sama."

"Thank you, Kakashi. I have no doubt that Sasuke, and the rest of First Response and Assault Team Seven, will flourish under your tutelage." The old Sarutobi smiled.

"Only should they pass." The scarecrow drawled as he pulled out his Icha Icha book. This of garnered a few chuckles from the assemble ninja.

"Indeed, Kakashi." the elderly Fire Shadow grinned wryly, "Now on to the next team. Jounin Yuuhi Kurenai, please step forward."

Twenty-eight year old Yuuhi Kurenai, rookie jounin, made her way to the Hokage's desk, ignoring the few leers from both strangers and her boyfriend, Sarutobi Asuma.

"Yes Hokage-sama." Came her crisp, professional reply. This is what she'd been waiting for, ever since she'd left her post at the academy as a chuunin instructor, and what she'd needed after her failed attempt at teaching with Yakumo; it was a clean slate, another chance to personally mold and guide children that had taken up the path of shinobi.

The Sandaime gazed at the folder in front of him, containing the files of all three of her prospective students. "As a rookie Jounin, you are assigned a team instead of being able to scout and choose a team yourself. This would have been of great help this term, as all students are slated to graduate; luckily for you your prospective students are both highly capable and perfect for the team's mode of operation."

Kurenai simply nodded, anxious to get this over with and study her new team.

"Reconnaissance and Extraction Team Eight will consist of Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Uzumaki Naruto."

Many faces around the room, including Kurenai's, grimaced at the sound of Uzumaki Naruto's name. If the Hokage noticed it, which she was more than positive he had, he didn't say anything and continued on with his task.

"As Jounin sensei, should they pass, I have no doubt that these three will flourish under your tutelage and do their village proud." Hiruzen continued, handing her the folder with her students' files, "You will meet them at the academy tomorrow at Nine and administer your test how and as you see fit. I wish you luck, Jounin Yuuhi"

"Of course, Hokage-sama." Kurenai bowed as she took the file, "May I inquire as to why Inuzuka Kiba and Uzumaki were switched around? It was my understanding that the Inuzuka-Hyuuga-Aburame matchup had worked wonders in the past…"

"But of course, my dear. Originally, young Naruto was to go to Kakashi's team, even though his grades put him in the number two ranking at the Academy. Upon looking further at his files, specifically his skill set, he was found to be exceedingly complementary to that of young Hinata and Shino."

Nodding stiffly, Kurenai frowned and replied, "Of course, Hokage-sama. If I may be excused?"

"By all means, Jounin Yuuhi." The Hokage smiled genially.

"Thank you again, Hokage-sama." Kurenai sketched another bow, before composedly walking to the door, opening and closing it with nary a sound. Once she was on the other side, she slipped in to the fastest Shunshin (Body Flicker) she could manage, heading straight for the restaurant she knew Anko was currently in.

She needed someone to vent to about this little development.

Oo0OO0OO0oO

Ninja Academy, Training Grounds…

Naruto winced as Sasuke mercilessly pummeled one of the civilian-born students.

The Uchiha heir, like usual, was not up to petty taunts or bragging needlessly; the boy just went in and tried his damnedest to humiliate the other person without it looking like he was trying. It was standard operating procedure for Sasuke, and it worked most of the time.

Hate it or love it, the Uchiha prick was good. Even without his funky eyes.

The only people the Uchiha actually lost to on a regular basis were Shino, who was too much of a well-oiled machine once he got going for the Uchiha to stop, and himself.

As he watched Sasuke's opponent go down for the count, the question of who was getting the shorter end of the stick came to mind. Was it the Uchiha's opponent, who was unlucky enough to have his exam fight against someone so _clearly_ above his skill level? Or was it Sasuke himself, who had garnered another effortless victory, one which would serve to unjustly boost his already absurdly high opinion of himself?_ 'Either way, it sucks to be them'_, he thought to himself.

A bit uncharitable, yes, but he was entitled to occasional spitefulness.

Having worked their way through the names most of the students had already fought. Hinata had faced the Haruno girl, much to his secret glee. It seemed that the Hyuuga heiress liked the girl's vapid demeanor no more than he did. The Yamanaka fared much better, showing some actual skill against her 'rival' Ami, but the fight itself was rather pathetic as expected. Naruto inwardly prayed that he would be teamed up with a competent kunoichi.

Shino and Chouji, as expected, had completely dominated their respective opponents. The shy Akimichi, it seemed, was not averse to throwing a fellow student halfway across the training area if it meant passing the exams. Shikamaru, it should be noted, simply dodged and waited for his opponent to tire out before taking him out with a well-placed kick to the shin.

Out of the top combatants, only Kiba and himself were left; judging by the look on Mizuki's face as Iruka left a few minutes early to set up for the Ninjutsu exams, and the feral grin Kiba was now sporting, this was planned.

Unsurprisingly, their names were called next.

Naruto simply sighed as he made his way to the large circle in which the two would fight. He supposed this was Mizuki's last chance to try and sabotage him or get him hurt, so he should have seen this coming. The man had been trying to get him either expelled or maimed ever since he'd turned twelve. He did have to wonder at his choice of accomplice; while the young dog-user certainly was a vicious fighter and of the type to agree to such nonsense, with or without his dog he wasn't really up to Naruto's level. And Mizuki knew that.

_Whatever his game isit won't work_. Naruto thought to himself as he watched Kiba go through a few ridiculous poses as he left his ninken on the sidelines and made his way into the ring, throwing grins and winks at Hyuuga Hinata. The girl in question simply scoffed at Kiba's lame attempts at impressing her, before pinning Naruto with an unreadable expression.

Half a second later the stoic Hyuuga was looking elsewhere, leaving Naruto blinking rapidly. Focusing on the task at hand, Naruto turned back to Kiba, who was apparently talking to him.

"…eady for another beat-down, looser?" the Inuzuka jeered with false bravado, "I won't be holding back today."

The blonde boy in question simply held out his hand in a friendly gesture, "Let's do our best, Inuzuka-san." He grinned.

"Whatever, clan-less freak." Kiba sneered, slapping the boys hand away and settling into his family's taijutsu stance, "You only THINK you're hot shit. Iruka-sensei ain't here to stick up for ya this time, and I've been doing a little training myself. Your ass is mine now."

A wider grin, showing off the Uzumaki's longer-than-average canines, was all that the Inuzuka got as Naruto slipped into his own stance. One foot forward, he crouched down to keep a low center of gravity and pulled both fists up to eye level in standard boxing-fashion.

Seeing both combatants were ready, Mizuki sent a discreet nod to Kiba while shouting "Begin!" at the two. Barley had the words met the air before the dog-user sprung at Naruto as fast as he could, using his chakra to boost the strength of his claws like his mom had taught him.

With his confidence making him feel ten feet tall, he had no doubt that this loser, who had NO one to teach him or help him for the exams, would be easy pickings.

Oo0OO0OO0oO

Hidden in the trees, the two AnBu operative stationed at the Academy winced in sympathy for the young Inuzuka. This would not end well, if the Uzumaki's change in body language meant anything.

Poor boy.

Oo0OO0OO0oO

As a crushing right cross to the face forced Kiba to the ground, the Inuzuka was forced to admit that _maybe_ he'd been a little too fast with the 'clan-less freak' insult he'd thrown out not a few seconds ago. Shaking off the pain, he scrambled to his feet and swung with a right, lunging as he did so.

Swatting the offending wrist wide with his left hand, Naruto sent a soft jab to Kiba's throat to disorient him, before grabbing his hair and laying a stern elbow blow to the left side of his head. From there, he brought Kiba's head down into the path of a rising knee to the mouth, then grabbed him by his jacket and bodily threw him over his shoulder and down to the hard ground, where he landed in a heap, all within a few seconds.

Rolling away from his opponent once he was able, he struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth and glaring at his opponent; this was not how it was supposed to go down. Mizuki-sensei had pulled him aside the week before and told him that if he put down Uzumaki, he'd take the number two spot on the roster, which guaranteed a top-flight sensei and team. Given That Kiba was in the middle of the pack all around, this was a golden opportunity, and he got to put a hamper on Uzumaki's career as an added bonus.

Knowing how much he'd prepared, Kiba had been reasonably confident that this was a done deal. And now he was getting his ass handed to him by his year's conveniently overlooked number two student.

The problem now was that, while not naturally gifted like Hinata-chan or that fag Sasuke, he was _evil_ quick, mean as hell, and honestly knew what he was about. Add all that to his usual quick-ass takedowns and chokeholds and you have a slight problem.

Trying to push these thoughts away, he lunged back at Naruto, who was bouncing on the balls of his feet at the ready. His first swipe was ducked, so he used the momentum to spin into a back roundhouse, which Naruto tilted his head back to dodge. Turning quickly, Kiba tried a shoulder tackle followed by a clawed backhand. Both were evaded with minimal movement, and the Inuzuka was rewarded with a one-two to the stomach and right kidney.

Retreating for a moment to catch his breath, he leaped back into action, feigning a swipe with his right then shifting into a kick to Naruto's right leg, trying to hobble him and at least equalize the match.

Seeing through the feint immediately, Naruto took a quick step back, then just as quickly stepped forward and sent a lightning fast left straight crashing into the middle of Kiba's thigh followed closely by another blurring cross into Kiba's unprotected face, causing the young Inuzuka to once more retreat- this time with a noticeable limp in one leg and another darkening bruise on his cheek.

Growling to himself, Kiba slowly circled his opponent, trying to find a weakness, or opportunity to exploit. Right as Naruto moved to cross one foot over the other to keep Kiba in his sights, the dog-nin struck, exploding forward with his claws ready to do serious damage. This proved to be a mistake.

As soon as Kiba had taken his first lunging step, Naruto quickly ducked down and suddenly closed the distance in the blink of an eye. The Inuzuka, caught unawares mid step by the boy slipping into his guard, was wholly unprepared for the quartet of punishing blows that beat a rapid rhythm across his torso and the right which sent him to the hard ground on his back with a bloody nose.

Kiba could almost _feel_ the students and staff around him wince at the crunch of his nose breaking. Hell, he winced too, as he got back to his feet and wiped the absurd amount of blood onto his sleeve. '_Kami, why does a nose bleed so fucking much? '_ he internally raged as he tried to burn a hole in the Uzumaki's face with his eyes, made unsuccessful by his own backpedaling. With a sigh, He looked to their referee, Mizuki-sensei, to see if he'd end the match like he was supposed to at the first sign of serious injury.

A not-so-discreet shake of his head confirmed that no, he'd have to pull through this one.

"Fuck this…" Kiba muttered to himself, getting down on all fours. Baring his teeth at Naruto, he lunged forward with all his strength, easily twice his previous speed. As predicted, Naruto ducked low, preparing to counter whatever was coming.

But this time, Kiba had a surprise for _him_.

Right as he closed in on his target, Kiba kicked off the ground to gain even more speed and quickly rotated his body, becoming a swirling missile of claws and muscle that was aimed at a now stunned Naruto.

"TSUUGA (Piercing Fang)!" Kiba roared triumphantly.

Naruto's mind froze in shock for barely a heartbeat, and his body shifted to auto-pilot. A split second before the Inuzuka missile would've collided, the blonde Uzumaki ducked even lower and twirled his body tightly, appearing to roll along the Kiba's attack. Everyone stood shocked as the boy's frightening surprise attack failed, the world seemingly running at the speed of molasses.

As Kiba came out of his spin, turning around to launch himself at the blonde again, the world snapped back into high-gear, and with a feeling of dread he realized that Naruto was already on him.

A sharp jab to the chin snapped his head back, followed by a crippling shot to the right hip and a crushing blow to his left side. His left foot was kicked wide sending him into an awkward almost-split and a fist rocked his jaw hard enough to pop his neck. Before he could fall to the ground, a hand caught him by the throat and wrist and slammed him sideways into the ground An immediate blow to the temple saw to it the Inuzuka was down for the count.

Naruto, for his part, fist outstretched and on one knee, panting slightly from the small adrenaline rush as regained his higher brain function and realized that he was kneeling over Kiba's unmoving form.

00ooo00oooo0000ooo

'_Fuck…_' was the first coherent thought to run through Naruto's mind as he caught up with his body.

Then he realized that ALL small conversation and background noise had come to a halt. Looking around, he noticed most of the adults and student were looking at each other and Kiba in various states of surprise.

'_Reeeeal smooth, Uzumaki.'_ The boy berated himself, '_Goin' all Super Streetfighter IV on the idiot, and in front of all the other derps, too. Just great.'_ He consoled himself with the fact that the Inuzuka in question was still breathing. Had his brain been in 'Suicide Slums' mode, their little tussle would've had a VERY different outcome.

'_At least all that training paid off…'_ thought the blonde as he remembered all the effort he went through to make his taijutsu reflexive.

He noticed noticed with no small amount of chagrin that no one had actually called foul for Kiba's use of a jutsu. Had the positions been reversed, _HE_ would have been severely punished, the teachers ALL too happy to mark his whole exam invalid. Speaking of teachers…

"What the _hell _Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto speared the silver-haired instructor with an accusing glare as he stood up, "Why didn't you stop the match?"

Mizuki, snapping out of his own daze, sneered at the boy. Just as he was about to reply, a familiar voice cut in.

"End match! Winner, Uzumaki Naruto."

All eyes darted to the entrance of the training ground, where an obviously perturbed Iruka stood, glaring at Mizuki.

30 minutes later, outside the Academy gates…

Seventeen year-old Shibata Tenten was bored and anxious, a bad combination for a kunoichi. Smoothing out the non-existent wrinkles on her short dark blue dress, she took a deep breath to calm herself. She just returned to the village from a long C-rank mission, and a quick shower and change had seen her on her way here.

One Uzumaki Naruto, her best friend, was graduating from the Ninja Academy today; she, the supportive type, was waiting patiently for the exams to end…and being stupendously bored and more than a bit jittery in the meantime. As her mind wandered in circles due to said boredom, she recalled just _how_ she met Naruto.

She'd been a year ahead of him in the academy, remembering him to be a shorter than average, bright-haired little ragamuffin who nobody would play with. She was of course aware of his treatment by teachers, once she was old enough to pick up the not-so-subtle clues, but was in no position to do anything about it.

Plus, she had her studies to worry about, being an orphan in the Ninja program left little time for other things. So she went about her life as usual, silently cheering the quiet boy on whenever she caught a glimpse of him. Life moves on, right?

Then about month and a half after graduation, she ran into him. It had been a long while since she'd seen him, years really, and had almost not recognized him the day she'd stumbled onto the training ground he was using that day….

..::_Glistening sweat dripped off of him, causing the tank top he wore to cling like skin to his muscular torso, and the tied sweatpants he wore hung from sculpted hips. His close-cut blonde hair nearly glowed in the sunlight as he bobbed and weaved round the largest of the training posts, laying into the poor thing with a speed, focus, and fervor she'd come to associate with her sensei or her youngest teammate._

_As she took a step back to silently leave, a twig snapped underfoot, drawing his immediate attention to her and those beautiful midsummer blues pierced her with open curiosity._

_After what felt like hours, Tenten pierced the silence._

"_Uhm….Hi there…." came the greeting._

"_Hey…" followed the jovial reply accompanied by a grin, which displayed a disturbingly long and sharp-looking pair of fangs._

"_That…uh… Your technique, it's really good." She continued, feeling a bit lame._

_Naruto's eyebrow quirked in mild surprise , "You saw that, didja?"_

_Biting her lower lip, she nodded._

_The blonde boy simply grinned wider, which did an admirable job of dispelling the awkwardness that had settle on the small clearing and…ohmygodarethosefangsthatissohot! "Thanks, though I'm sure you could do better."::.._

Every time she remembered their first real meeting, Tenten can't help but giggle. She'd asked him his name, and given hers in return. It was almost like a page out of one of those cheap romance novels that girls her age seemed to flock to!.

After that, they'd regularly bumped into each other, never really saying more than hi and bye, until one day, Tenten screwed up her courage and convinced him to help her train, which he tentatively agreed to, and the duo made a day of it one Saturday. Soon this became a regular occurrence for the two, especially when she learned just how skilled he was.

Days turned into week, weeks into months, and they continued to bond over mutual adoration of Tsunade of the Sannin and sharp, pointy objects.

She was equal parts horrified, and amazed to find that he'd lived in the red-light district of the village since he was a small child. For someone who grew up in such a…rough…environment he was remarkably well-adjusted and sociable, if a little crazy, but that just mad-him cuter in her opinion.

He was so _kawaii_ at times, Like when she was teaching him the basics of swordplay._"Wait, don't we just want to hit the enemy with the sharp bits?" _was his first reaction to her tutoring. She of course teased him mercilessly about it, at times calling the blonde her 'Wildboy'.

Such fun and teasing made her feel like a _girl_ instead of just a tomboyish kunoichi who had never been described as more than 'kinda cute but too serious'. And it was all thanks to him.

Yes, Shibata Tenten was quite smitten, though she'd never admit it out loud (Heavens, no!), and was quit happy to support him on a day like this….

Even with the loud, obnoxious bint not three feet from her, badmouthing her friend with such gusto that it made her eye twitch.

"…can't believe they actually think it wise! Letting that thing into the school with our children in the first place is bad enough! Training it to kill? Preposterous!"

The shorter, round-faced woman next to her opened her gaping maw to offer her own opinion. "He must be trained Sumiko. I would rather have a trained, controlled beast around than a wild one. At least then he can be of some use!"

The thin woman, Sumiko, gave a longsuffering sigh. "Bless your sweet, tolerant soul Ayeka, that beast cannot BE tamed! If Hokage-sama won't put him down, he needs to at least keep him away from decent people!"

"Well, I've often heard that the boy lives in the Suicides. Maybe…" started another woman.

"Maybe he will be killed." snapped Sumiko. "He belongs there with the other degenerate beasts at any rate. For Kami's sake, I've heard tell of a rumor that some young trollop has taken up with the brute! Can you believe it?"

A snort from one of the younger mothers drew their attention, "Well some people need to have the itch scratched, Sumiko. And whatever else the 'brute' may be, he's far from ugly. Far better looking than that ogre-looking impotent you call a husband at any rate."

"Maybe you should hire him out, Sumiko-san?" chimed in another one, "I hear that he can be seen often times at Maikaze's little whore…I mean TEAhouse. How about it, Sumiko-san? Wave a little cash, show a little skin, and if nothing else you'll at least be satisfied!"

This of course caused the surrounding women to titter and snicker at the shrewish Sumiko, whose face flushed in embarrassment, before the conversation steered into safer waters…

Safer for them because Tenten, who had already calculated the trajectory of her kunai, had been milliseconds away from the not-so-worrying dilemma of just where in the Forest of Death to hide five bodies.

But before she could further contemplate homicide, the academy doors were thrown open, and the area suddenly was filled to the brim with laughing and cheering graduates.

The scene before he put a smile on her face, as they ran around her. Excited parents, quite a few of which were shedding tears of joy, proudly hugged their children and lavished them with praises. Some bragged about their performance, some made plans for parties, and some were just content to bask in the pride of their parents.

Tearing herself away from the nostalgic scene, the sixteen year-old scanned the area, before spotting her quarry exiting the academy with what looked to be her old sensei, Iruka. The metal plate of his hitai-ate strapped to the front of his belt, the leaf insignia standing proudly against the black fabric. With a smile blooming on her face, she ran towards him.

"Naruto!" She called out.

00oooo000oooo00

"I'm truly sorry for what happened during your taijutsu examination, Uzumaki-san. That kind of…of foolishness should-"

"It's OK, Iruka-sensei." cut in Naruto, "Mizuki's been trying to either maim or expel me ever since he found out I wouldn't fail on my own. It's not your fault."

"But still, I should have at least-"

"_I _shoulda known he was going to pull something. Luckily Kiba wasn't threatening enough for me to stab him on reflex."

At this Iruka looked as if he'd swallowed something sour, glancing at his now-former student's seemingly innocuous hunting knife, holstered as it was on his thigh.

"Anyway," the teen continued, "I'm done with the academy after tomorrow, and don't have to worry about Mizuki anymore. It does neither of us any good to dwell on it."

Iruka sighed as he stopped at the academy doors, "I guess I see your point. In that case, good evening Uzumaki-san. I'll see you tomorrow."

"And you, Iruka-sensei." He smiled and kept walking. With a half-hearted wave, he made his way out of the gates.

"Naruto!" came a familiar dulcet voice. Turning, he spotted his best friend running towards him with a beautiful smile on her face.

"Ten-chan!" he smiled, catching and spinning her as she leapt into his arms before pulling her close. Tinkling laughter passed her lips as she threw her arms around his neck.

"I didn't expect you to be back yet.," he said, face buried in the crook of her neck, eliciting a giggle from her. "You must have been bored silly out here with the gossips and the gawkers."

"And miss you graduating?" she grinned, pulling back to look him in the eye, "Not a chance." She pulled into another brief hug before asking, "So, how'd it go?"

"Well, surprisingly." he smile, somewhat nervously, "It was honestly just business as usual. You know how it is; write down a couple of answers here, do a few jutsu there, cause a concussion or two…."

"Hold it!" Tenten interrupted with a frown, "What was that last one?"

"Do a few Jutsu?" Naruto supplied hopefully.

"Uh-uh. Spill."

"C'mon, Ten-chan. It's not that big of-"

"Spill."

"Ten-chan, it's already been hand-"

"Spill."

'You really don't wa-"

"_Spill_."

Naruto slumped in defeat "Alright, alright. I'll tell you while we walk. I don't wanna talk about it here, okay?"

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" she smirked, looking for all the world like dimpled victory. "Now come on, we've got to show you off!" and with that, she linked one arm in his and proceeded to march down the main street, dragging Naruto along at a sedate pace.

Naruto frowned, "Ten-chan, I don't think this is such a good idea…"

"Oh, shush." She replied, pausing to glare mildly at him, "You're a shinobi now, Naruto-kun. You are beyond stupid looks and words. And _I _will not be bullied into being ashamed of you being my friend, so no more hiding." She sniffed at him and grabbed his arm, resuming her pace while speaking in a haughty voice, "Now come along, Wildboy. I wish to show you off to the peasants."

Naruto smiled genuinely, "I'll have you know that I'm not some prized animal to be led around and stared at." He affected an affronted look.

Tenten patted him on the arm absentmindedly, as if he was a bit dim, "Of course you are dear, now come along."

His laughter was music to her ears, the glares she could feel on her back as they left the academy having no effect whatsoever. Now If only she could keep him away from that ramen-serving _hussy_over on Orange street…

000oooo0000oooo000ooooo000

Knocking once on the great oaken door with the handle of his cane, Shimura Danzou strode into the Hokage's office and closed the door behind him, just as the elder Sarutobi was finishing the last of the day's paperwork. Looking up from the last form, the elderly Fire Shadow addressed his visitor.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit, old friend?" he queried, offering the man a seat. "I may be getting on in years, but I know today is Monday and not Thursday, our usual Tea Day."

Danzou merely grunted, taking the proffered seat with a grace that belied both his injuries and age. "My sources have informed me of your last-minute switch. That of course warranted an earlier visit, Hiruzen"

Sarutobi chuckled, "Yes, young Naruto's file was tampered with; a later assessment showed that his placement warranted a small change." He quirked an eyebrow, "I take it you approve?"

Danzou scoffed, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't. My spies have been monitoring the boy for some time, as I'm sure yours have, and I agree that the team he was placed with meshes together adequately."

Sarutobi nodded, absentmindedly filling and lighting his pipe, "If my hunch is correct, his will be one of the more successful genin teams in circulation. Between his impressive talents, the Aburame's intellect, and the Hyuuga's leadership and abilities it shall be a force to be reckoned with." This garnered a weary chuckle from his old rival.

"I saw him when he stomped Tsume's youngest into the ground, acts just like Mito-sama used to."

"Aye," agreed the Hokage as he took a puff of his pipe,"has a mean streak just like her too. Must be in his blood." He added wryly, thinking of the First Hokage's fiery wife.

"You might be right," the crippled shinobi snorted before sobering, "Fond memories aside, Hiruzen, there _is _something important I wished to ask you. Will you be informing the boy of his status and his heritage?"

The Sarutobi patriarch gave a weary sigh, "I…I have honestly debated not telling him at all, the situation being as it is." Here he sighed again, "Yet I made a promise, and I intend to keep it. I will be sending a messenger shortly to bring him here. It's time he knew."

Danzou nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, "And his parents?"

"I shall indeed inform him of his maternal heritage. He at least deserves that much, though her Jinchuuriki status will die with us. On the other hand, his father's Identity won't be revealed until much later, if at all. It would bring closure, true, but it could also sour his view of the village if revealed at this time."

"Be that as it may, the boy may figure it out for himself, as sharp as he is. Then where will you be, Monkey? The boy is not idealistic like his father, nor is he like his mother. He is…harder, in a sense, Hiruzen." Danzou warned.

The Sarutobi simply emptied his pipe, "We shall cross that bridge when we get to it, old friend. Now, am I correct in assuming you would like to be present when I explain his situation?"

"You are indeed. I would like to_ personally _gain the measure of our Jinchuuriki."

Hiruzen chuckled at this, "I'm sure you would. Kuma!" at his call, a hitherto unseen ANBU appeared silently beside the Hokage. "Go and retrieve young Naruto. Please, check Shibata Tenten's residence first."

With a small bow, the ANBU operative once again vanished just as silently as she'd appeared.

Turning back to Danzou, a mischievous smile pulled at the Hokage's lips, "Would you care to look over the file my operatives completed?"

The root commander snorted, "Why yes, let's see what's had you smiling for most of the day."

Hiruzen simply handed the manila folder to his old rival and waited for the inevitable. I took slightly longer than anticipated, but eventually he got his wish.

"Monkey," Danzou breathed as his eyes continued to flip through the pages in the file, "How accurate is this? Who wrote this up?"

Hiruzen grinned like a Cheshire, "I pulled a few from Intel to observe him, I believe Ms. Sazanami in particular wrote the report."

"And you gave him to the _Yuuhi _woman?" Danzou nearly hissed, scanning the psyche report again. "What in the world were you thinking?"

"That she could help the boy along his path and offer a bit of guidance, maybe even heal some of her own wounds…as well as curbing that sexist complex of hers." The Hokage returned glibly.

"As head strong and sexist as the woman is, putting a boy so willful and independent under her command would be like putting oil with water, regardless of her obvious expertise on the subject." Suddenly, Danzou shot him a look, "And I suppose it simply slipped your mind to hand her an updated copy of his file, leaving her thinking she'll have to deal with some talentless little teenage hellion that she can just bully into compliance?"

Sarutobi simply offered a shrug and a grin, "Aren't surprises what make life the most interesting?"

Danzou gazed him for a long while, before it dawned on him what Sarutobi was doing, "This is going to be a disaster, as clever as this ploy is.."

Hiruzen simply smirked, "Have a little faith, Danzou."

"How soon are we talking?" asked Danzou astutely.

"Barring any unforsee field promotions?" Hiruzen grinned unrepentantly, "After the Chuunin Exams. Experience _is_ most important in our line of work after all."

"And I suppose that is just a convenient cover?"

"Naturally, old friend."

Danzou sighed as he gazed back at the file in front of him, "If anything, we at least know that the boy has potential, if nothing else." Looking back at him was the proof:

**Subject: Uzumaki Naruto**

**Age****: 15**

**Hair****: Blonde**

**Eyes****: Blue**

**Height****: 5 ft. 6 in.**

**Weight****: 190 lbs.**

**Rank: Academy Graduate (Set 2 of the Revised Curriculum Trial)**

**Affiliation: Konohagakure no Sato, Uzumaki Clan (Last known member)**

**Standard Proficiency Rating (Scale of 1 to 5)**

**Nin: 2**

**Gen: 3**

**Tai: 3**

**Stamina: 4**

**Hand Seals: 2**

**Chakra Control: 4**

**Speed: 4**

**Strength: 2.5**

**Classification: Low-impact Kinetics, Sensory-type Support**

**Notes: Subject is exceedingly adept at Illusory application, as well as Storage, Circuit, and Explosive seals.**

000oooooo00000ooooooo000

Konoha's Northern Residential District, Tenten's apartment

"…and then poor Lee grabbed the package and took off in the wrong direction, and ran straight into a tree!" Tenten told Naruto between giggles as he sat at her kitchen table, watching her cook dinner, "I think our client was too busy trying to breath to worry about scolding Lee for almost breaking it."

Naruto looked up from his tea, "Lemme guess, Neji gave him the stink eye the whole way back, right?"

"Leave him alone, Naruto-kun." she mock-scowled. "He can't help it."

"Yes," he purred, as she turned to him with her hands on her hips, "Stick-in-Ass is such a horrible disease, sneaking up on perfectly normal people. Forgive me; one shouldn't speak ill of the afflicted. How's his jaw, by the way?"

Tenten sighed at her too-cheeky friend, remembering his rather violent last encounter with her white-eyed teammate. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Cook for me as Ising your praises and tell you how wonderful and talented you are?" came his grinning riposte. She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her as he grinned shamelessly.

"That sounds delightful, Uzumaki-kun." She replied in kind, "You may begin singing now."

Just as he was about to reply, there came a knock at the door. Immediately, the warmth and humor left his face, replaced by a light frown. Standing up, he glanced towards the frontdoor and turned to her, "ANBU."The puzzled look colored her face, before realizing what he meant. She'd forgotten he could do that.

Nodding to him, she walked out of the kitchen and made her way to the door of her small apartment. Upon opening the door, she was unsurprised to see a full-fledged ANBU standing at her door, "Um, may I help you, Anbu-san?"

The Operative's lifeless bear-themed mask stared imperiously down at her, "Is Uzumaki Naruto at this residence?"

"Is there something you need with me, Anbu-san?" Naruto's head suddenly poked over her shoulder, startling both.

The operative's painted mask shifted in the blonde's direction as she regained her composure, "Hokage-sama wishes to speak with you, immediately."

Naruto frowned, but nodded nonetheless, "Of course, thank you Anbu-san." And with that, the Bear-masked operative vanished in a puff of smoke and leaves.

Closing the door, Tenten turned to him with a slightly worried expression. "What do you think this is about? Do you think Inuzuka-sama went to the Hokage about what happened?"

Naruto scratched at his cheek, "Nah. she doesn't like me at all, but that's too petty even for her. This is something different, though the ANBU _would _wait 'til dinner's almost done to make his appearance." He finished with an exaggerated grumble, trying to lighten her mood.

She stared at him with that same worried expression for a few moments longer, before adopting an adorable pout. "Well, there goes our quiet evening, Uzumaki-san. I expect something good to make up for this!"

His mock-scowl was replaced by that innocent smile she loved, "Of course, Ten-chan. Anything you want." He smiled and speed out the door. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, so I'll just see you tomorrow after I meet my team!" and with that he vanished mid-step with a soft swoosh, using a smokeless Shunshin.

"Anything, huh?" Tenten said to herself as she closed the door and made her way to the kitchen."

The giggles that later came from the Shibata residence could be construed as devious.

00ooooo00000oooooo00000oooo00

"Come in, Naruto-kun." Came the answer before he'd even knocked.

To say Uzumaki Naruto was nervous would be an understatement of the highest order. This…this Being in front of him had forgotten more than Naruto would see and know even if he lived to the be one hundred. This 'Man' had lived through not one, but THREE Shinobi World Wars, and so powerful that he'd been Hokage since the age of twelve. This was the man who singled-handedly turned Kawagakure (Village Hidden by Rivers) into Tanigakure (Village Hidden in the Valleys) in a single day.

As he stepped forward to the Hokage's desk, the door closed behind him. It took all the discipline not to jump at the sound.

The man known throughout the world as the "God of Shinobi" smiled genially at him, looking up from the manila folder he was perusing.

"Hello Naruto-kun, it's good to finally meet you. Please have a seat." The Sarutobi elder greeted.

"L-likewise, Hokage-sama. It is an honor." Naruto replied, giving a deep bow before taking the proffered seat.

Hiruzen looked to his right, where Danzou was standing near his chair, "This gentleman here is one of my advisors, Councilman Shimura Danzou. It was he who sponsored your enrollment into the Shinobi Academy."

Naruto nodded respectfully towards the man, "Elder Shimura-san." Danzou simply returned his nod.

Gazing back at the manila folder, the Hokage addressed Naruto, "I must say, Naruto-kun, this is a most impressive file my Anbu have gathered on you. Advanced application of illusion techniques and Law Enforcement tactics? Creating a genjutsu on your own? Ouite impressive indeed, Naruto-kun. You truly are a remarkable individual to have done so much without help."

A now thoroughly startled Naruto was puzzled for all of five seconds about how the Hokage had gotten a hold of what he'd tried so hard to hide from others, before he realized how silly he was being. Of course the Hokage had his info. The man had a dozen squads dedicated to gathering Intel about anything at any given time. Just because Naruto hadn't sensed them didn't mean they weren't there... Bringing himself back to the present, he tried his best to thank the elderly leader for his glowing review.

'Tried' being the key word.

As Sarutobi listened to the obviously awed and nervous young man stammer out a 'thanks', he took a moment to observe the child he hadn't seen since he was a babe. He'd been expecting a clone of Minato with Kushina's personality at the very least, but he was a bit surprised to say that, besides the facial feature that hinted to both parents, he was nothing like them.

His low-key and disarmingly sociable yet cunning nature was at nothing like his father's roguish charm and cocksure confidence, or his mother's brash and in-your-face attitude, despite his mercurial nature. And his physique set him apart even further from his father's image, as it was obvious the boy had heavily inherited the much shorter and rather muscular male Uzumaki frame. He doubted if Naruto would reach 5' 10". Shaking himself out of his quiet inspection of the lad, he chuckled ruefully.

"It is inspiring to see you come so far, despite your rather rough upbringing. I regret, however, that I did not bring you here to discuss your skill in the Ninja Arts, or questionable living arrangements." here the Hokage gave a knowing glance. "You are here this evening because it's time you had answers.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Tell me, Naruto-kun, what do you know of the terrible tragedy that struck our village fifteen years ago?"

"You mean the Kyuubi attack?" Naruto queried slowly, and at the Hokage's nod continued, "Well, on October tenth, the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked our village, killing hundreds. After hour and hours of intense battle, the Yondaime Hokage appeared and proceeded to defeat the Kyuubi, costing him his life."

Sarutobi nodded gravely, "I see that the academy is at least doing its job in that department. And how do you suppose he killed the Ninetails, Naruto-kun?"

Here Naruto quirked an eyebrow at the strange question, but answered nonetheless, "I guess he used a powerful Hiden Jutsu or Kinjutsu, something like that."

"I am afraid that you are only half right on that account, Naruto-kun. What if I told you that the Yondaime did not slay the fox, but merely defeated it?"

"Wait, what?" was Naruto's intelligent reply. "But the academy books, and the history texts too, say that…" but the Hokage simply held up a hand to silence him.

"The Kyuubi was a beast of untold power. It was, or should I say 'is', not an entity one can simply kill." Hiruzen grimly intoned."The Yondaime realized that, and devised a plan accordingly; after stalling the beast he selected a newborn and used a Kinjutsu known as the Shiki Fuujin in conjunction with the Shishou Fuuin (Four Symbols Seal) and Hakke Fuuin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Method) to seal the soul of the beast inside of the child, thereby saving the village. It was the hope and dying wish that the young child which contained the beast be seen the savior of the village."

Throughout Sarutobi's explanation, Danzou silently watched the boy, reading the facial expressions the boy made as he digested what was being told to him. The leader of ROOT saw first confusion, then horror, then shock and anger. The slightly disturbing part of all this was the lucid state which finally settled over the teenager as he leaned back into his chair; while the shock could clearly still be read in his eyes, the anger in them was no longer hot and reckless but cold and focused. He quickly made note of the fact that the boy's chakra signal was quickly growing fainter.

Then came the Killing Intent.

For a moment that was both brief and tortuously long, killing intent forceful enough to make the air _hum _with malice filled the air, and then abruptly disappeared. Sarutobi gazed at the boy, whose eyes were glued to the floor in thought at the moment, before speaking.

"By the expression on your face, you know that you are in fact the container or _jinchuuriki_ of the Nine-tailed Fox. I understand that this is hard for you to hear, but it's time you knew. If you have any questions, you need only ask."

For a few tense minutes, Naruto did not stir, eye held to the floor in furious contemplation, but after a while he raised his head to stare at the elder Kage. "This," he near whispered, "This is why they hate me? Because I _saved_ them?"

Giving a gruff sigh, it was Danzou who answered, "Unfortunately, before the Hokage announced your status as a container, certain elements in the village took advantage of the confusion and stirred the hive, so to speak. This, coincidently, was the cause for the second sealing."

Naruto's anger subsided only slightly, a puzzled frown now marring his features. "Hold on, what do you mean 'second sealing'? I thought the Kyuubi was already sealed inside me."

Sarutobi nodded in agreement, "Yes, but the Elders and the Clan Heads were fearful of the power a jinchuuriki of the mighty Kyuubi might wield. Jinchuuriki have been used by other villages in the past and none wanted to deal with something of that nature; most called for your death. As a solution, we overlaid the Yondaime's seal with one of their own, one which permanently cut you off from any and all access you could have had with the demon and making you a jinchuuriki in name only, as well as an agreement by all parties politically affiliated to limit contact 'so as not to influence you unduly'. This was of course done with the hope that you would have a relatively normal childhood."

As the implications of what he'd been told sunk in, Naruto took several moments to keep his response respectful, and to sum up the feeling running through his mind into word form. Once he'd succeeded, he looked first at the now silent councilman, then to the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I…" he choked out before pausing again. "That whole situation was stupid. To blurt out something like that to people who'd just lost…"he trailed off, not being able to verbalize his sentiments.

Sarutobi snorted, "Young man, I can truly say that your sentiments on the matter mirror that of my own and councilman Danzou here. Fear has a way of twisting even the sharpest and most experienced individual. Someone had ascertained your status as the container and had already spread the word. I simply gave them the truth before to many lies could be spread. Sadly, the party responsible was at least partially successful, hence the reaction of the Clan Heads and Elders. "

Naruto nodded, running a hand through his hair as he again gathered his thoughts.

"Wow….just, wow." Breathed Naruto. It wasn't every day that you were told that you alone housed a being of pure malice, capable of leveling an entire village, in your navel. The fact that the Majority of the village's adults hated him for it and passed on that hatred to the younger generations didn't help at all.

'_Yeah,' _He sighed to himself finally,_ 'This hella sucks.'_ And with that Naruto Uzumaki got over himself. If there was one thing he'd learned growing up on the streets, it was that life moves on, with or without you. He was alive at least, and though he'd been thrown a curve-ball in the form of a nine-tailed demon , he'd also been given the opportunity to find out something that had been eating him up for as long as he could remember…

"What about my family, Hokage sama? Where they killed that night, or….?"

The Hokage nodded, steeling himself for the half-truth was about to tell, "Though your father was never revealed to us, your mother was Uzumaki Kushina, one of the finest young women I've had the pleasure of knowing."

This was too much, "Really? You knew my…" His face now a mask of happiness, disbelief, and hope. Saying the word 'Mother' was both the easiest and hardest thing in the world at the moment.

"Indeed, Naruto-kun. Your mother was the sole survivor of the attack and subsequent destruction of Uzushiogakure. Seeking asylum with us as a young girl, she later became a ninja of the village, eventually joining the ranks of ANBU's Internal Security Division. She was a vibrant young woman, full of determination and laughter, with an unquenchable spirit, matched only by her rather fierce temper; something you seem to have inherited." Sarutobi finished with a fond chuckle. "Had she survived, I have no doubt Kushina-chan would be immensely proud of the strong, determined young man you've become."

Naruto smiled weakly at the nostalgia in The elder Kage's voice, wishing that he himself had spent even a day with the woman that had given him life. It was almost too much. His mother…_his _mother…was an ex-ANBU and apparently an acquaintance of the Sandaime. Just what _could _you say to that?

"While most records of her and a number of other shinobi were destroyed in the attack, my secretary was able to find this within the tower's archives. I hope it will suffice."

And with that, Sarutobi reached into his desk and withdrew a dark grey folder, and handed it to Naruto over the desk.

With shaking hands Naruto accepted the folder, only iron will stopping him from snatching it out of the elder Kage's hands. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the folder.

The first thought to run through his mind was that she was absolutely the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. Vibrant, long red hair framed her face, accentuated by her bright blue eyes and warm smile. He could see that, except for hair color, he got most of his features from her. Her nose, eyes, chin, and cheeks stared back at him every morning from the mirror, and he realized that she was also to blame for his hair turning red at the tips when it grew to reach his neck. She was wearing a Chuunin vest, her hitai-ate worn like a necklace, in what must have been a picture taken for her updated Ninja ID.

Staring down at the picture in front of him, burning the image into his memory, one word escaped his lips, carrying the desperation, joy, and longing he'd felt at that moment, as both the jaded young ninja he was and the lost little orphan inside of him spoke in one voice….

"_M-mom_…."

Oooo00000ooo00000oooO

"Well, Danzou?" Sarutobi enquired, not a minute after Naruto had left the Hokage's office.

The leader of Root rubbed his chin pensively, "The more he talked, the more I was convinced we were talking to a younger version of Mito-sama. It was uncanny to say the least; he was certainly interesting."

"Yes, yes. It was a very surreal encounter I admit, but that isn't what I was getting at…" Sarutobi allowed.

"I approve of him, for now."Danzou gave, grudgingly.

"Remarkable isn't it?" Replied Sarutobi, "Growing up with so little, he has accomplished so much."

"I'm more worried about his mental state. The reports I was given suggested he was a bit..angrier. Beyond that brief glimpse, I saw nothing." replied Danzou, quirking an eyebrow.

Sarutobi simply puffed his pipe, "Like any good ninja, I suppose he's learned to turn it off and on at will. Not surprising."

"In any case, we shall see just how he fares in the _real_ world fairly soon." Danzou replied, thinking of the reports his spies had given him on this 'Akatsuki' organization that had popped up. "His opponents will be tougher than the standard yakuza thug, or Opium junky. Especially if your little plan works."

"As I keep telling you, old friend, you must have faith." A smirking Sarutobi puffed as he turned to the moon-lit visage of his predecessors upon the moutain, remembering the determined look on the boy's face as he put his own tragic past behind him. Such strength of character would serve him well in the many trials to come.

'_Yes,'_ Sarutobi chuckled to himself, the future looking a bit brighter, _'Faith will go a long way here.'_

Oo000o00000o000oO

**A/N: And that concludes the first REAL Chapter of Ninja Revolution: The the next chapter , we'll see a bit more character development for our hero, as well as the first clash between him and his new jonin sensei, who doesn't seem to care for having him on her team at all…..**

**Please Read and review! It helps me grow as a writer and tells me what I'm doing right/wrong (making the story that much better). Until next time!**

**J.A.**


	3. Pride goeth before the Fall!

**AN: For the duration of the fic, picture Naruto voiced by Justin Cook (Yusuke Yurameshi). The theme song for this story is now **_**Radioactive **_**by Imagine Dragons, and the fight theme for Naruto is **_**Rules of Nature **_**from the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Soundtrack. A special shout out to my new Beta, the holy one himself, The Holy Drucifier! He's awesome! As usual, any mistakes are purely my own. Welcome to next chapter of Ninja revolution: the Scout...**

**CHP. 02: Pride goeth before the Fall! **

"_Four things you should know when engaging Uzumaki Naruto. STAY AWAY from large bodies of water and trees at all costs, DO NOT engage him close-quarters, keep him in sight at ALL times, and NEVER. EVER. give him time to prepare."_

_-Hatake Kakashi_

The Academy

Naruto sighed to himself as the Iruka gave his 'graduate speech', rubbing at his face tiredly. Even with his monstrous stamina and early bird attitude, he could use a good nap right now.

The previous night had been an emotional roller-coaster of epic proportions, ending with the revelation of his maternal heritage. Even after a full night's sleep, he felt a little drained. But now that he had the answers he'd been looking for, he could move on. Unlike others, he truly didn't have time to wallow in self pity.

Since he'd graduated yesterday, he was no longer entitled to the orphan fund that paid his rent. And the monthly stipend, that was usually gone when he made it to the drop box anyway, was cut as well. His performance as a shinobi directly affected his lifestyle, so he'd have to be on point.

Speaking of on point…

"….as proud shinobi of Konoha. Now, we will move on to team selections. Team One, consisting of….."

Naruto couldn't help but sit a bit straighter in anticipation; this was a new chapter in his life after all. He looked around the room and saw that everyone else was the same way.

As his eyes swept the room, he met the eyes of the ever prim and aloof Hinata Hyuuga. She'd once again pinned him with that unreadable stare of hers, lifting a delicate eyebrow before turning back to Iruka.

Before he could ponder the strange look, the instructor's voice cut through.

"Team 7 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura-"

"YES! Suck it, Ino-pig!"

"And Inuzuka Kiba. Your Jounin-sensei will be Hatake Kakashi."

'_Well that's great.'_thought Naruto as he watched Kiba sulk, bruises evident all over his face, while Sakura crowed in triumph._"At least I won't have to deal with those two…"_

"Team 8 will be made up of Hyuuga Hinata, Aburame Shino, and Uzumaki Naruto. You're Jounin-sensei will be Yuuhi Kurenai."

THAT got his attention.

Yuuhi Kurenai was one of the premiere genjutsu practitioners in the Leaf. Known for her nigh-realistic illusions, some compared her prowess to that of the Kurama and late Uchiha clans. She was also hailed as an ice queen by some for her somewhat aloof behavior, matched with her stunning looks. Personally, Naruto didn't care if she looked like a model or a hag. She could turn his knack for illusions into something dangerous, and he could slowly start to expand his rather meager ninjutsu repertoire on his own, now that he had access to the shinobi library.

Iruka had just wrapped up the team assignments when the Jounin-sensei all walked in, including Yuuhi Kurenai.

"Team 8?"She asserted in a strong, yet feminine voice.

"Here." Naruto, Hinata, and Shino called in stereo, standing up to greet her.

"Good, follow me to Training Ground 16." And with that, she turned on her heel and made her way out the door, the genin following behind her.

**XxX**

Training Ground 16

As her prospective students landed in the clearing in front of her, she took a moment to observe them.

Maintaining an air of aloofness, Hinata was of course dressed to tastefully accentuate her curvy form and provide a distraction to gutter-minded male enemies. Kurenai herself thought that the shorts were a bit _too _tight and short, and showing tight mesh undershirt through her open jacket was a bit too much, but it was ultimately Hinata's own decision.

The Aburame boy was dressed much like his clan members, grey high-collared shirt and all, topped off with a forest green jacket and his hood pulled up. She could almost hear the kikaichu that permeated his body and clothing, waiting to be released.

As her eyes finally fell on the Uzumaki whelp, she barely withheld a sneer.

At least he could dress himself properly. Then again, anyone could look the part of a shinobi. She did note the sleeved elbow-pads and shin-guards, as well as the military–grade utility belt he wore that was filled to the brim with pockets on each side. It was almost as if he was serious.

Cutting her little inspection short, she moved away from the tree she'd been leaning on and addressed the would-be genin.

"You managed to keep up after I sped up the pace, especially you, Hinata. Using the telephone wires and billboards in such a way shows good innovation and spatial awareness."

"Thank you, sensei…" her protégé demurred, shifting from one hip to the other in what must have been bashfulness. Behind her, Shino looked directly in her direction, silent as ever. Uzumaki's only action was to raise his brow slightly in acknowledgement.

"Back to the reason you are here. In one hour, you three will be taking your true genin test." She paused, to let it sink in. Predictably, Hinata caught on in a heartbeat, if the glint in her eyes was anything to go by. It was the Uzumaki who spoke up first however.

"Wait…What do you mean 'genin test', Sensei? I thought we'd already passed the exams at the Academy."

"The 'exams' you took at the academy were simply to weed out the ones who were totally unfit to be shinobi. Naturally-" She paused to glance at Naruto, "Some slip through the cracks, which is why the Jounin-sensei administers their own test." She paused again and looked each of them in the eye, "Be warned, this test carries a 66.6% failure rate. Do any of you wish to opt out and wait until next year? There is no shame in admitting weakness."

She watched closely as the genin-hopefuls' eyes widened at the curve-ball thrown at them. It was a justly worrying scenario for someone in their position. They each looked at each other for a moment, and then Uzumaki frowned.

"Well, I know _I'm_ not backing down," he spoke in her general direction, obviously trying to impress her. "I've worked too hard for this."

She ignored him for the moment, raising a sculpted eyebrow at Hinata and Shino.

"I will participate, Kurenai-sensei." Shino's reply was concise, while Hinata simply nodded her affirmation.

She looked at both of them for a long moment, before smiling beautifully at them, "Wonderful. Perhaps you'll be ninja yet. The test is simply to subdue me within forty-five minutes, using the skills you have learned so far. You have thirty minutes to prepare, and then meet me back here."

Although slightly paler than before, the three genin-hopefuls spoke in unison: "Yes, Kurenai-sensei."

It pleased her inordinately to hear them so compliant and attentive, but of course her good mood couldn't last, "Uzumaki-san. Before you leave, I would like to speak to you in private." The surprised look on the delinquent's face told her that he hadn't a clue what was going on, but he would. She'd make sure of it.

Hinata turned to the boy, "Meet us on the Academy's roof top." And with that, both she and Shino leapt off, heading towards the academy. Kurenai herself turned towards the Uzumaki, who was watching the other two leave, and frowned.

"Ahem." She cleared her throat loudly, immediately grabbing his attention. It was time to clear the air.

**XxX**

"Ahem."

Tearing his gaze from his departing teammates, he turned to his sensei. A block of ice dropped into his stomach as he met her now frosty gaze. Something was wrong…

"I'll get straight to the point," she said with narrowed eyes, "I don't like you, and I frankly don't care if you like me. I've seen young men like you before, and I'm letting you know now that I won't put up with your vulgar behavior or violent tendencies-"

A bewildered Naruto tried to grasp the situation, "Sensei? Wha-"

"Do NOT interrupt me while I am talking,_ little boy,_" she snapped, stunning Naruto with her vehemence. "Now, contrary to what you've heard or even read, I am not here for you. My sole concern is the well-being and education of Hinata and Shino. There is little doubt that they will find some way to pass the test and all three of you will become genin, so I sadly will have to put up with you. Unlike you, they show true promise and motivation. Once seven months is up, the three of you will be nominated for the Chuunin Exams. By that time, I will expect you to at least be competent enough not to hinder them. Once they are promoted, you will be transferred to another team, becoming someone else's problem entirely. Until that time, you will follow my orders to the letter. Step even a hair out of line, give me just ONE reason, and you'll wish I _had _reported you for insubordination. Those male pushovers you called 'instructors' at the Academy have nothing on what I could do to you should you disobey me. Have I made myself clear, little boy?"

By now, Uzumaki Naruto was a curious mix of white-hot fury and hopelessness. This woman had made it VERY clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, and that he was basically going to be left out in the cold as far as individual training went. All hope for fair, unbiased education and maybe a mentor went quickly up in smoke, leaving Naruto with a burning resentment towards her and the system at large.

But he was still a ninja, and ninja were the masters of their emotions, so he kept a civil tongue in his head and answered her. "Yes, Kurenai-sensei."

"Good boy." Kurenai spoke patronizingly, "We'll have you trained in proper manners yet. Now head to the Academy and meet with your teammates. You are dismissed."

Gritting his teeth, he bowed and turned away, his eyes flickering briefly to a tree to his left. With a sigh he leapt into the forest, deftly swinging and bouncing from one tree to the next.

When he finally disappeared, a silhouette peeled itself from that tree, revealing the frowning form of Mitarashi Anko.

"Damn, Nai-chan…that was a bit harsh, even for you." She said, immediately cutting to the chase.

Kurenai simply raised a sculpted eyebrow.

"Seriously, you said you were going to set him straight, not verbally demoralize or destroy him! What was all that?"

"You have to browbeat a man and step on his ego if you want him to obey you, Anko. After the little chat I just had with him, I doubt I'll have too much of a problem with him now."

Her long-time friend threw her hands into the air, "Not this crap again, Nai-chan! Honestly! If you push that one too hard, he'll probably try to murder you in your sleep or something. Seriously I think you need to rethink this thing a bit."

"And now you're exaggerating," she said, sounding assured. "I know his type. Once you take away their bark, they have no bite. I let him know that he has no power here in the real world, and he doesn't know how to deal with a strong female as an authority. "

"And you wonder why you and Asuma can't stay together" Anko asked with an incredulous look.

Kurenai's head whipped in her direction, "What was that?" she asked archly. "Allow me to ask where _your _boyfriend is?"

Turning slowly to Kurenai, Anko gazed at her quietly for a moment before letting her comment slide…this time. "Whatever. Anyway, are you gonna go spy on the kiddies and see what they come up with? It might even be good."

Kurenai shook her head, leaning against a nearby tree. "No, I already know their options, and I know exactly how Hinata's mind works. Any plan she makes I can easily figure out."

Anko simply shook her head and decided not to mention the Uzumaki or the Aburame boys, already knowing her response. She was a firm believer in 'Kunoichi Power!' and all, but Kurenai took it a bit too far. She'd repeatedly warned her about it, that it would come back to bite her, but Kurenai wouldn't listen.

Case in point, Anko had picked up on the subtle but focused amount of killing intent wafting off the brat when he left. This little test promised to be entertaining if nothing else.

**XxX**

Near the Academy

"Fuck HER, fuck that ridiculous-looking outfit, fuck the goddamn tree stuck up her ass, the horse she rode in on, fuck her ultimatum and her stupid speech…" Naruto ranted to himself as he flipped and rolled from tree to tree, the nigh infamous Uzumaki temper making an appearance.

"I've worked WAY too hard for that bitch to stop me now. Spending hour after hour, training my ass off, having to spy on other genin and chunin just to learn techniques I should've been properly taught or at least have access to; having to break into the academy's library just so I could have the textbooks to do my goddamned homework. FUCK that bitch if she thinks she's going to hinder me now. That shit will _not_ fly." He finished with a growl as he landed in a tree nearest to the academy.

Taking a few deep breaths, he once again centered himself, reigning in his temper for the moment. If all went well, he'd certainly be able to demonstrate his _displeasure _to Kurenai, one way or the other.

As he cleared his mind, he made a mental list of all the things he'd need to know to progress chuunin. Ever the schemer, Naruto's mind was quickly trying to come up with contingencies for what looked to be a particularly large roadblock on his way to success, assessing Kurenai as a major problem. As much as he disliked the idea, he might have to ask Gai for help this time. He'd avoided it so far, simply settling for sparring with Tenten or Lee and asking for pointers on this or that occasionally, but this new situation was a bit more serious than usual. It really all depended on how much he could find at the shinobi library, and how much Kurenai would teach the team as a whole.

Exhaling one last time, Naruto slapped his cheeks to shake himself out of his funk and get his brain in the game. "Alright Uzumaki," he whispered to himself, "It's show time!"

And with that, Naruto leaped from his tree and onto the roof, where he landed on the railing, crouched between a surprised Hinata and Shino, both of which started at the blonde's sudden appearance.

"Hey guys, what have I missed?" he asked, plastering a small grin on his face. It would do no good for them to see how upset he was right now. They had a mission to complete.

"What is wrong with you, Uzumaki? You could at least warn someone before you make a fool of yourself." The acerbic and aloof Hyuuga snapped at the boy. The flush in her cheeks betrayed her embarrassment at both him sneaking up on her and the fact that she was so close to him. It was NOT a crush, dammit!

"Was that entirely necessary, Naruto-san?" Shino queried, adjusting his glasses with a finger.

"Necessary? No. It was fun though." He nearly flinched at the fierce scowl the heiress had given him for his wit.

Since he was completely oblivious to the hormonal confusion going on in Hinata's head, Naruto simply turned to Shino. "So?"

"In any event Hinata has come up with a strategy which we feel, if executed correctly, will subdue Kurenai-sensei most expediently. Using our respective abilities in such a manner as to overwhelm her in scenario such as a running battle, it seems the outcome is inevitable."

"The only problem," continued a now-composed Hinata," is that we can't seem to decide how to put it into action."

"And that's where I come in, right?" Naruto queried.

"Precisely."Both Hinata and Shino voiced together.

"Well, okay." Naruto said, adjusting himself so that he could sit cross-legged on the rail, balanced perfectly. "Let's hear it then!"

And hear them he did. While their plan revolved around capitalizing on the strengths of their clan's abilities, it didn't utilize the strength of the team as a whole. Granted, they'd only been a team for all of seventeen minutes, but this kind of strategizing was emphasized in the academy. It should have been the first thing on their minds. When Hinata finished explaining the plan, she stepped back waiting along with Shino to see what he could bring to the table. After a few minutes of deliberation, Naruto finally hopped off the railing, looking each of them in the eyes.

"It sucks." He spoke bluntly. The reactions were immediate.

"What do you mean 'It sucks'?!" hissed Hinata, clearly incensed at his callous dismissal of her strategy. "Just how could you possibl-"

"Please explain." Requested the ever stoic Aburame, receiving a scalding glare from the Hyuuga heiress for his interruption.

"Well…the plan is way too straight forward. The three of us taking on a jonin in a battle royale sounds so cool that it makes me giggle on the inside. It's also totally unrealistic; I don't care how powerful your respective clans are. She's a _jonin_, we're _genin_. There's a good reason for that. The three of us aren't gonna beat down a jonin outright. And you're still assuming that Kurenai will sit there and try to take all three of us on instead of separating us and picking each one off, using some obscure genjutsu that we've never heard of. We have to fight smarter, not harder in this situation, which shouldn't come as news to us. We are_ ninja_, after all."

As Naruto's explanation concluded, Shino frowned to himself. He should have seen the flaws himself; logic was the main tool of the Aburame clan. Maybe he'd been too eager to prove himself shinobi, not looking at all the angles and making a clear and rational decision. He vowed to himself to work on this.

Hinata, on the other hand wasn't so convinced.. Yes , Naruto had shot holes in their plan, but what could he –who was really only good at punching things– honestly come up with that could be better than what the two best strategists in their class had already hashed out. Being who she was, she had no problem telling him so, "Fine. If our plan is so destined for failure, then why don't you come up with something better, Uzumaki? Being such the tactician and cunning strategist that you are, I'm sure you've got some amazing plan for us." Whether it was wounded pride talking or honest opinion, Shino couldn't tell.

Naruto pouted childishly, "Hey now, no need to be mean. We might actually pull this off, if you're willing to work with me." He paused for few moments, deep in thought, before cracking a devious grin. "We could even rework your plan…maybe add a…..and do a little something with….and then the ninja wire goes….OH! I like that….and then…." Halfway through whatever he was going to say, he suddenly was lost in his own little world, pulling out a small note book and scribbling notes and mumbling to himself like a madman.

After a few minutes of this, Hinata had finally had enough, "Uzumaki, focus! We don't have time for you to daydream." she wouldn't admit aloud that the expression on his face while deep in thought was absolutely adorable.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up from his notebook, before realizing where he was, "Oh! Sorry, I…uh…tend to do that sometimes. Anyway, how about it guys? You wanna help me turn this into a fight we can win, or do you wanna stick to the original plan? It's your choice"

It didn't take much of a leap of logic for Shino to decide, "I would like to see what you have in mind, Naruto-san." Shino agreed. He, unlike Hinata, had not forgotten about the Uzumaki' boy's prowess with field craft and stealth.

After a few moments of deliberation, Hinata agreed as well. "I can already see us having to repeat our last year at the academy." she aired with a sigh, "But it can't hurt to at least hear you out."

"Alright!" Naruto clapped his hands together cheerily, "Now, Shino, how good are your allies at dispelling Genjutsu?"

**XxX**

Training Ground 16

It seemed to Kurenai that the three genin preparing to take her on were much more confident than they had be when they'd left to plan their attack.

Hinata, standing in the middle, pulled a bundle of four rods from the sheath on her lower back. With a flick of her wrist, they snapped together into a five-foot, dark purple staff. Pointing the tip into the ground, she looked straight at Kurenai, activating her byakugan with nary a word or hand sign.

To Hinata's right, Shino adjusted his glasses, his sleeve slipping down just far enough to give a glimpse of the gauntlet/machine on his arm, while a small swarm of kikaichu pooled at his feet and flew around him in a slow spiral.

On Hinata's left, the blonde Uzumaki unrolled the collar of his turtleneck, revealing it to be a mask which he pulled up to hide the lower half of his face. As he secured his goggles over his eyes, the dark lenses glowing an eerie blue before fading back to their original hue. His half-gloved fingers twitched in anticipation.

"_The first step to any battle," _Naruto's words form earlier rang through his teammates' minds, _"is putting up a strong front. By seeming intimidating and dangerous, you can often psych an opponent out, even if they are aware of your efforts to do so."_

"So, are the three of you ready?" Kurenai asked the trio of genin-hopefuls.

"Yes, Sensei!" was their Immediate, unified response.

"Good," her painted lips twitched into a small smirk, "Begin!"

As soon as the last syllable left her mouth, Naruto's arm blurred into action. Sweeping his arm in a downward arc, the blonde sent a brace of throwing knives careening towards their sensei with deadly intent.

Not being a jonin for nothing, Kurenai was ready with a responsive handful of shuriken, neutralizing the threat mid-air.

What she hadn't predicted was the explosion of smoke that erupted from the knives the moment the projectiles collided, which obscured her view of the three combatants completely.

She didn't have time to ponder this phenomenon, as Shino streaked through the wall of dark smoke and covered the distance with alarming speed. In a moment he was upon her. He reared back a fist, and Kurenai once again caught a glimpse of the strange contraption around his arm under his jacket.

As he prepared to parry the strike and deliver a stern but measured counterattack, she suddenly aborted the act mid-motion and blurred through a short set of lightning fast seals, watching from foliage as the log she'd substituted herself with was obliterated by a combination of a crushing haymaker from Shino, a mass of knives, and a swift stab of Hinata's staff from above, the weapon humming with the ruinous jyuken chakra manipulation. Leaping from the bushes in a blur, she shot towards the duo with intent to scatter them and deal with each individually.

It was only the instincts honed by years of training that allowed her to roll backward in time. She was momentarily startled by the force with which the group of throwing knives which appeared out of nowhere had torn through the air, inches from her face. A half-second slower and she wouldn't have had to worry about the test.

Rolling back onto her feet, she caught a glimpse of the smug smile adorning Hinata's face, and gave a smirk of her own. 'I suppose I should up the ante.' she thought to herself, before disappearing in a burst of shimmering flower petals.

**XxX**

Up in the trees, Anko couldn't help but be impressed by what she was seeing. While Kurenai was taking it easy on them in terms of genjutsu, the young genin-to-be were actually giving her a_physical _workout.

The Hyuuga heiress in particular was impressive to watch.

She'd heard of the two rising prodigies of jyuuken, of course. Hyuuga Neji was nearly a master of the rigid and unyielding contemporary forms of the style and a terror to fight up close, while Hinata was a genius of the traditional jyuuken staff forms which flowed like water.

Seeing the girl in action, fighting alongside the Aburame kid against Kurenai, really brought home the fact that this new generation would be ridiculously strong.

As she watched the brats weave in and out around Kurenai, the occasional brace of throwing knives stopping the jonin from dealing any decisive blows, she realized that something didn't seem right.

While the Hyuuga-Aburame duo seemed to be after their sensei with a vengeance, they didn't appear to be going in for the win, so to speak. Of course they would have been countered and subdued immediately had they done so, but then why would they engage Kurenai so boldly if their goal wasn't to try and defeat her in combat?

She knew the Uzumaki kid was the one throwing the knives whenever it looked like Kurenai was about to gain the upper hand, but there hadn't been any interference from him in the last few minutes. Just what was the kid doing? Where was he?

Unbidden, a chill ran up her spine and her danger senses screamed a warning her mind.

Anko began discretely looking around; suddenly she'd gotten the strong notion that she was being watched. As she surreptitiously scanned her surroundings, her eyes widened before zeroing in on the nearest tree to her left. There, perched still and silent on a branch overlooking the clearing, was Uzumaki Naruto.

He gazed at her through the dark lenses of his goggles for a long moment before they abruptly shone a bright, piercing blue. He slowly pulled a single finger to his mask in a shushing motion and turned back to the fight below, his lenses dimming again. After a few moments, he pulled back his left sleeve to reveal a wrist watch which he checked, nodding to himself and then dropped backwards off the branch, vanishing into the shadowed foliage below with nary a sound.

Anko, for her part, simply shook her head incredulously at the fact that a green academy student had gotten the drop on her. If the kid was _that _sneaky, then things were about to become very interesting indeed.

She should've brought popcorn.

**XxX**

Back on the ground, Kurenai was a confusing mix of both proud and annoyed.

Proud, she mused as she once again parried a strike from Shino and threw him towards an incoming Hinata, because her two students had come up with a decent strategy to combat her in the open. While she was indeed holding back some of her hard-won speed and techniques, they were still holding their own and had somehow managed to both make use of Uzumaki and keep him from under their feet at the same time.

She was annoyed because none of the genjutsu she _tried _to use seemed to be working!

Yuuhi Kurenai prided herself on her ability to weave illusions, be they complex or simple. The fact that, no matter what she tried, she could not snare any of them in a genjutsu was frustrating. The mind boggling part was that neither Shino, nor Hinata had made any attempts to dispel any oncoming illusions. It was almost like they were immune!

She leaped into the air to dodge Hinata's low-sweeping staff, intent on coming down with an axe-heel that would put the girl out of commission for the duration of the fight. This maneuver soon proved to be a big mistake as the girl suddenly shouted, "NOW!"

Without warning, Shino lifted an arm towards the airborne Kurenai and turned his wrist downward. Out of his sleeve shot a small dark shape that exploded just before impact and unfurled to reveal a weighted net.

Closing in too fast for her to substitute, she was caught mid jump and immediately entangled in the net, crashing to the ground with a painful thump.

With a flick of her wrist, a kunai appeared in the now-bound jonin's hands and she made short work of escaping the young Aburame's trap, rolling backwards into an alert position- where Hinata was there to meet her. Twisting her hand around the staff, the weapon split into two smaller batons which she twirled dangerously.

Trying to mount a defense failed as the Hyuuga was already inside her guard, jabbing both batons into each shoulder. Before Hinata could strike at her hips, Kurenai swept her kunai in a wide arc, forcing Hinata to retreat back to Shino's side.

Pulling herself onto her feet, the jonin winced as she felt the tell tale signs of jyuuken working its magic. Those two small strikes had cost her most of her extensive repertoire, so she was understandably embarrassed and frustrated at her small lapse in judgment. That said, she wasn't so easily beaten, even without access to most of her illusions or the substitution jutsu. Just as she was about to prove this point, however, Hinata and Shino surprised her yet again.

"Circuits one and two are down!" Hinata intoned as she folded and put her staff back in its holster.

"Commencing extraction," Shino replied. As soon as he said this, the clearing was enveloped in a cloud of dark smoke, obscuring everything from view. When it cleared, there was of course no sign of the two; she would have been severely disappointed if it had been otherwise.

It came without warning.

One moment she'd been contemplating the best way to track down her students, the next moment, the ground had literally exploded under her feet and hurled her across the clearing, where she landed more than a bit ungracefully. Thankfully, whatever it was happened to be concussive, otherwise she would've had worse than bumps and bruises to deal with.

Pulling herself to her feet for the second time that day, she looked around for the culprits. Seeing motion out of the corner of her eye, Kurenai turned towards it, only to jump out of the way in the nick of time as a group of knives whizzed through her previous position with a hum. As she took a small step backwards, something snapped behind her ankle. She didn't need to look down to know that she'd released a tripwire.

_**SNAAAAP!**_

_**CRAACKK!**_

_**THHWOOOMM!**_

_**TWIP-TWIP-TWIP!**_

_**SCHIIING!**_

_**BADOOOHM!**_

_**SCHICK!**_

_**THHWIPP!**_

_**CLICK-CLICK-CLICK!**_

_**TWANG!**_

_**PHOOOM!**_

It took all of her experience as a jonin to remain alive, much less unscathed, as she dodged to and fro, flipping and twisting in even the most awkward of ways to evade the numerous rope traps, kunai traps, spiked logs, exploding logs, razor wire and concussive bombs that seemed to sprout from nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

Mid-landing, Kurenai was hit in the side of the head by some sort of can, then her vision when white as a deafening _**BANG! **_filled her ears. Staggering around blindly, she was wholly unprepared for the blow that broke her nose and sent her stumbling backwards.

Drawing a fistful of shuriken from her pouch, she made to throw them in her assailant's direction, only to have her hand slapped down and given a fierce blow to the chin that snapped her head back. She felt the air shift behind her, and in an instant her left arm was twisted behind her back. A finger pressed itself into her bicep, and her arm locked itself into place. Her opponent wrapped an arm around her neck in a sleeper hold, while the other hand grasped her right wrist and twisted it, immobilizing it and deploying the kunai mechanism hidden in her sleeve at the same time. A kick to the back of her right knee sent he into a kneeling position, and a hard kick to her left Achilles tendon shot that leg wide and numbed it, and her attacker's arm quickly became a noose as her own weight added to the chokehold. She wiggled and struggled, trying desperately to do something; she couldn't even speak or cry out. Soon her vision went black and she lost consciousness. Her last though was of how sad it was that she'd been disarmed and subdued by _genin_ in less than fifteen seconds after being blinded.

**XxX**

"_Tango down." _Intoned Naruto as he let his soon to be teacher side fall to the ground none too gently. He felt a lot better now that he'd had his little slice of payback. He pulled down his facemask and placed his goggles back on his forehead, a smiling face revealing itself.

As soon as he did so, Hinata and Shino appeared at his side, Hinata sporting an incredulous look.

"I…I can't believe it! How did you manage to set all those traps in seven minutes AND have enough time to give long-range support? How is that even possible?" Hinata queried, still shaking her head, before pinning him with a look, "And you're teaching me those grappling maneuvers."

"I admit that I myself am impressed at your skill in fieldcraft and hand-to-hand, Naruto-san."

"Heh, it just comes from practice really." Naruto shrugged, unused to having people compliment him in such a way. It was weird. "Anyways, we have a more pressing matter to attend to, guys."

"Oh?' replied Shino.

"What do you mean?" asked Hinata.

"Weelllll," Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously, "Which one of you is gonna wake up Kurenai-sensei?"

Across the field, Mitarashi Anko fell out of her tree, laughing up a storm.

**XxX**

_**And there you have it: The genin test! This chap was a little weird, what with me rushing back and forth with issues in RL and what not, but I finally pushed it out. There's a smidgeon of character development in here but not much sadly. Next chapter kicks off team interactions as a whole, and we'll see a bit more of this slightly different Konoha as well. Tell me what you think! Read! Review!**_

_**Next chapter: D-Rank Daze!**_


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